Multi-level ambulance cot



y 29, 1956 R. H- FERNEAU ET AL 2,747,919

MULTI-LEVEL AMBULANCE COT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 50, 1952 INVENTOR IE. FE RNEAJ RlCHARD MABYYNARD MlLEY M M7 FM ATTORNEYS M y 1956 R. H. FERNEAU ET AL 2,747,919

MULTI EVEL AMBULANCE COT Filed Oct. 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 II II] ATTORNEYS United States PatentO MULTI-LEVEL AMBULANCE COT Richard H. Ferneau and Maynard E. Miley, Washington Application October 30, 1952, Serial No. 317,732 1 Claim. (Cl. 296-20) Our invention relates to an ambulance cot. It has to do, more particularly, with an ambulance cot which is readily adjustable as to height.

At the present time, ambulance cots are necessarily made very low so that they can be positioned, with the patient therein, in modern ambulances which are very low and ofier little head room. Although it is desirable to have the cot low for positioning in the ambulance, this creates certain problems when the cot is removed from the ambulance. In the first place, because the cot is usually so low, it is difficult to roll it along corridors since the bearers must lean over to push or pull the cot. Furthermore, because it is so low, it is diflicult to carry upstairs. Most important, however, is the fact that it is diificult to transfer a patient from the low cot to a high bed and vice versa.

It is the main object of our invention to provide an ambulance cot which can be readily adjusted between a low position, which is suitable for the cot when it is positioned in the ambulance, and a high position, which is suitable for carrying the cot upstairs or rolling it along corridors and for transferring a patient between the cot and a bed.

Another object of our invention is to provide an adjustable cot of this type which is of simple structure, having simple locking means for holding the cot in its elevated position, the locking means being of such a nature that it can be released readily to permit return of the cot to its lower position.

Still another object of our invention is to provide an adjustable cot of the type indicated which is provided with a shock absorbing arrangement both when it is in its lower adjusted position and when it is in its upper adjusted position.

Various other objects will be apparent.

The preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating an ambulance cot constructed according to our invention, the cot being shown in its lower adjusted position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cot showing it in its raised adjusted position.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the cot in its raised adjusted position.

Figure 4 is a detail of the locking means for holding the cot in its upper adjusted position.

Figure 5 is a side view of the adjustable handle and guard provided at each side of the cot.

With reference to the drawings, in Figures 1, 2 and 3, we have illustrated the general structure of our ambulance cot. It consists mainly of a lower frame and an upper frame 11 which are connected together by a pair of hinged legs 12 at the head end thereof and a pair of hinged legs 13 at the foot end thereof.

The frame 10 includes a pair of longitudinally extending bars 14 which are held in transversely spaced relationship by the crossbars 15 and 16. Thus a rectangular frame'is formed and this frame is carried on the caster rollers 17 disposed at each corner thereof. Extending transversely of the bars 14 and secured thereto is another bar 18 (Figure 2) which is spaced from the bar 15 a substantial distance. This bar 18 carries the legs 12 which are hinged thereto for vertical swinging movement. The legs 13 are hinged to the transverse bar 16 at the other end of the frame 10.

The frame 11 may be of any suitable type to properly support the patient. It includes the longitudinally extending rods 19 which are joined to a transverse member 20 at the head of the frame and a transverse member 21 at the foot of the frame, all of these members preferably being connected together to form a continuous rectangular frame. This frame 19 may be provided with the adjustable backrest 22 in the usual manner and with the footrest 23 and associated adjustable handle 24 in the usual manner. Also hinged to each side of the frame 11 on the rods 19 are the side guards and handles 25. As shown in Figure 5, each handle is normally held in upright position by means of a latch 26 but this latch can be released to swing the handle downwardly to its lower position indicated by the dotted lines.

At a point spaced from the head end of the frame 11, the rods 19 are provided with a pair of depending brackets 27. These brackets are spaced the same distance from the head end of frame 19 as the rod 18 is spaced from the head end of the frame 10, as indicated best in Figures 2 and 3. The brackets 27 are rigidly secured to the rods 19. These brackets 27 carry a transverse bar 28 to which the upper ends of the legs 12 are hinged. Similarly a pair of depending brackets 29 are rigidly secured to the bars 19 and are spaced from the brackets 27 the same distance that the transverse rod 16 of frame 10 is spaced from the transverse rod 18 thereof. These brackets 29 carry the transverse rod 30 to which the upper ends of the legs 13 are hinged.

The rod 28 carries a pair of coil springs 31 which surround it and are anchored thereto at one end, the other end 32 of the springs engaging the inner sides of the legs 12. These springs will normally tend to swing the legs 12 towards the head end of the cot and will tend to keep the structure folded as in Figure 1.

Midway between the ends of the transverse rod 28, a locking bar 33 is pivoted thereto for vertical swinging movement. This bar is of flat cross section and is disposed on edge. It extends from the bar 28 rearwardly over the transverse bar 16 of the frame 10. This bar 16 carries a spring 34 which coils around it and which has a projecting end 35 (Figure 4) having a U-shaped extremity 36 which embraces the lower edge of the locking bar 33, the bar, however, being free to slide through this U-shaped extremity. The bar 33 also passes through a yoke-shaped locking member 37, through which it can normally slide. However, the bar is provided With a locking notch 38 which will engage this locking member 37. The spring arm 35 normally will swing the bar 33 upwardly in engagement with the locking yoke 37 and the bar will slide through this member 37, upon adjustment of the frame 11 relative to the frame 10 until the notch 38 engages the member 37. The extreme free end of the bar 33 is provided with a foot pedal portion 39 formed thereon by means of which the notch 38 can be released from the member 37 by a downward push with the foot.

When the cot is to be positioned in the ambulance, it will be in the condition shown in Figure l. The frame 11 will be in its lowermost position on the frame 10. In this position the lower ends of the brackets 27 which serve as stop members will engage the frame 10 directly over the casters 17 at the head end of the frame. However, the brackets 29, which also serve as stop members,

members will be at substantially the same level.

will engage thebars 14 at a substantial distance towards the head endof the cot, fronrthecasters "lTat'the foot end thereof. The bars 14 are flexible to a certain degree with the result that the frame 11 will be resiliently supported by the frame 16. This will provide shockabsorbing means for the cot andit'will'not be necessary to have the usual coil springs associatedwiththe caster wheels 17. To hold the two frames together even when the ends of the frame 11 are grasped to liftthe cot, a 'latching member 40 isprovided at each side of the cot.

This member 40 comprises a clip suspended from each 'bar 19at 41 and having a lower end which snaps beneath the associated rod 14 of the frame 10. At this time, the locking bar 33 will be free of the locking member 38 and will rest on the transverse rod 161 of the frame 14 as shown in Figure 1. This bar is preferably bent slightly at 43 (Figure 4)'to facilitate its movement during relative adjustment of the frames 10 and 11.

'When the frame 11 is to be adjusted to its elevated position, the latches 40 are released and the frame '11 is lifted against the force of springs 31. This will swing the legs 12 and 13 upwardly and towards the foot end of the frame 10. The locking bar 33 will slide through the-locking member 37 towards the foot 'end of the cot -until the notch 38 engages the member 37. At this time the legs 12 and 13 will be vertical and the frame 11 will be locked in its uppermost position, the bar 33 serving as a diagonal brace to prevent swinging movement of the :legs 12 and 13 in either direction. At this time a shock absorbing arrangement is provided'by the support forthe legs 12 on the bars 14 of frame 10 being spaced from the casters 17 at the head end thereof. Since the rods 14 are flexible, the frame 11 will be resiliently supported. Thus with the frame 11 in elevated position, the shock absorbing means is at the head end of the cot and with theframe 11 in lower position, the shock absorbing means is at the foot end of the cot. However, the entire frame 11 will be flexibly supported since when the shock absorbing means is at one end the frame 11 will pivot about the axis of the transverse rod 28 or 30 at the opposite end.

more, in going up and downstairs, movement of the patient is facilitated because bearers grip the frame 11 at "approximately waist level.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

An ambulance cot comprising a frame mounted on rollers and including longitudinally-extending resilient rods, a frame adapted to bear the patient and mounted on the first-named frame, and means for adjustably connecting the second frame to the first frame so that it can be adjusted from a lower position adjacent to the first frame to an upper position spaced 'above the l first frame, said means comprising a pair of legs at each end of the cot hinged to the first frame and to the second frame and swingable in vertical planes when the second frame is adjusted relative to the first frame, one pair of said legs being pivoted to the first frame adjacent the end thereof and tne other pair of said legs being pivoted to the first frame at a location spaced substantially from the end thereof, said legs being connected to the second frame by rigid brackets depending from the second frame,

the lower ends of said brackets engaging the first frame when the second frame is in itslower position, the pair of brackets at one end engaging the longitudinal rods of the first frame at its end and the other pair of brackets engaging said rods of the first frame at a point spaced substantially from its end, springs anchored to the first frame and operatively connected to one of the pair of legs tending to urge said legs downwardly and to fold the frame together, and means for holding said second frame in its upper position, said holding means comprises a locking bar which is pivoted to the second frame adjacent one end thereof and cooperates with a lock on the first frame adjacent the other end thereof, said bar being pivoted to the second frame for vertical swinging movement, a yoke lock on the first frame through which said bar slidably passes, a locking notch in the upper 'edge of said bar for engaging said yoke lock, and a spring carried by the first frame engaging said barand tending to swing it upwardly into contact with said yoke lock.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 333,712 Zehring et al Jan. 5, 1886 1,129,775 Anthony Feb. 23, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS 25,429 Great Britain Feb. 8, 1912 of 1911 345,843 Great Britain Apr. 2, 1931 

